He will now be nominated to take on Picon’s other former role, as DLA Piper’s global co-chairman, an appointment that will need to be ratified by the board.

Brussels competition lawyer and board member Bertold Baer-Bouyssiere; Paris employment partner Bijan Eghbal; Madrid corporate partner Inigo Gomez-Jordana; London finance partner Charles Morrison; and London intellectual property head Bonella Ramsay were all eliminated in the first round of the election process.

Darwin will formally succeed Janet Legrand, who has been filling both the international senior partner and global co-chair posts on an interim basis since Picon quit in November in one of the biggest lateral moves of 2017.

“I have spent my whole working career at the firm and I am very proud to have played a key role in the development of the global law firm it is today,” Darwin said. “DLA Piper has a remarkable past but we are firmly focused on our future and as senior partner, I am committed to continuing to build on the unique strength of our diverse culture.”

Darwin is a DLA lifer who has been a key part of the management of the firm for many years. His current role is managing director for developing markets, but he has previously held such roles as chief operating officer of the international arm, Australia head, head of corporate, and U.K. managing partner.

He joined the firm in 1981 and made partner in 1987. Partners say that he was very close to former DLA chief Sir Nigel Knowles, with one partner describing him as “Nigel’s right hand.”

He has played a key troubleshooting role at the firm in the past, entrusted with such tasks as leading the response to last year’s cyber ttack, turning around the firm’s then-struggling Australia operation, and overseeing a swath of U.K. support staff cuts and the launch of a support center in Warsaw.

“Andrew’s dedication to, and belief in, DLA Piper is unquestionable and it is only fitting that his career has culminated in being appointed as senior partner,” said global co-CEO Simon Levine. “I have had the pleasure of working closely with Andrew for many years, including in a number of roles on my executive committee, and know that he is absolutely the right person for this important role and will represent our partners and chair the board with fairness and integrity.”

Levine’s term as co-CEO is set to conclude at the end of 2018, which could lead to another contested election this year if a challenger emerges. DLA Piper’s U.S. arm is managed by global co-chairman and Americas co-chairman Roger Meltzer and co-global CEO Cameron Jay Rains.

James Booth

James joined Legal Week in June 2015. He reports on leading UK law firms, as well as covering the African legal market. He previously worked for legal directory Chambers & Partners as a deputy editor.

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